Jenna’s Journey by Julie Ryan

After reading this book twice I still was puzzled how a writer can create such real-life characters and set such great scenery while at the same time have me scratching my head for all the inconsistencies throughout the book.

There’s unexplained time lapses, unexplained acts by characters, sudden plot twists that have nothing to do with the story. I mean to plug a hole a sudden ghost pops up, another strange thing is the remark that a certain character is hired to follow another character. How could he be, when that character didn’t even know that she was going on the trip, let alone go to that store. And the why of the following or who his boss is is never really explained, or followed up on. Plants die within a few days. A trip is planned and yet the fridge is being stocked for a character about to return, while the one who’s stocking up on groceries is travelling to pick up the one who is supposed to return. I know it sounds confusing, but that’s the effect it had on me while reading. Then there’s no pick-nick packed and they swim to shore in their undies, where they are suddenly having a meal? I mean where did that come from? The cat gets a bowl of water and wolfs it down as if it’s food.

Don’t get me wrong the book reads like a breeze, but the inconsistencies did trip me up. It’s throughout the whole book in the little things as well as bigger holes and yet the author shows clearly she knows how to spin a yarn. It’s just she pins so much yarns in this one story it’s becoming entangled and too messy to still be believable.

And then when you think you’ve had about all the twists you can get, there’s part three and all suddenly changes. Alternate reality pops up.

One hand I do like the story and rooted for the characters, but as I said there’s also so much that just should be addressed to, to stop the reader from being thrown out off it that I am torn how to rate this, because on the other hand I wouldn’t want to read it again, or recommend it as is.